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This article is written to honor Jack (John) and Ginny (Virginia) Case as charter members of the Porsche Club of America, and for their many years of service to the PCA and to the local regional chapters within Zone 8. But it is especially written in loving memory of Ginny Case, who recently passed away. All the Porsche Club members and Porsche owners who knew and loved her dearly over so many years will miss Ginny. (Jack has received many “heartfelt” letters of condolence from PCA members and Porsche owners, including Porsche family members Peter and Wolfgang.)

Jack’s road to “Porsche bliss” started when he was born in 1922 in Beverly, New Jersey, which is a very small township on the Delaware River across from Philadelphia (current population is less than 3,000 people). After graduating from high school in 1940, Jack then immediately served in the Army for four years during WWII in the European theatre, serving as a Staff Sergeant, and rising to the rank of Lieutenant. After the war, Jack attended Drexel Institute of Technology in Philadelphia, graduating in 1948 with a Bachelor’s Degree in Mechanical Engineering. That same year, he married Ginny (Virginia) Jones, who was from Burlington, N.J., a small town about eight miles north of where Jack grew up, and who he had met at a party thrown by a mutual friend.

During Jack’s college years and then in the early years of their marriage, the Cases had owned two MGs and two Packards, but things started to change in the early 1950’s when the first Porsche 356s started arriving in North America via New York City, thanks to Max Hoffman, the first U.S. importer of the Porsche brand. Jack and Ginny enjoyed driving the MGs and Packard cars and were active members of the South Jersey Sports Car Club, and were actually considering the purchase of an Austin Healey. But in 1954, they attended a racecar weekend in Connecticut where they happened to see a 356 Porsche on display at a local gas station, and that day their road to Porsche history started.

Around that same time, another Porsche visionary, Bill Sholar, who lived in the Washington, D.C. area, decided to contact the owners of Porsche cars, as more and more of these 356s started to appear on roads in the East and Midwest. After a preliminary meeting at Bill’s home in February 1955, the first official meeting of the new club, Porsche Club of America (PCA), took place in September at Blackie’s Grille in Washington, D.C., and Jack and Ginny Case were there, among the first charter members in the new PCA. In a short time, Jack became the National Executive Vice-President of the PCA and Ginny started serving on several club committees.

During the next several years, Jack and Ginny owned three Porsches and were instrumental in forming the Eastern Pennsylvania Region of the PCA. Ginny was working as a nurse for a local Philadelphia area hospital and then as a Nursing Administrative Supervisor for her hometown of Burlington. She enjoyed driving her 356 around the Jersey and Eastern Pennsylvania countryside, visiting patients in all kinds of inclement weather conditions. But before the end of the ’50s, the Cases moved to the town of Lynwood in the Los Angeles area when Jack accepted an engineering position to work for Aerojet General Corporation.

In 1957, Jack was the West Coast Coordinator of the PCA when the San Diego Region received its charter, with Jack being the signatory Executive PCA Member for that charter. A few years later, he also helped establish the Los Angeles Region of the PCA. At the same time, Jack Case was also serving as the Associate Editor of the Panorama, and the Cases were looking forward to receiving their fourth Porsche in October of 1959, by doing a Treffen to the Porsche factory and museum in Germany, a trip that the Cases would make several more times over the years, in some instances as honorees of the Porsche family.

In the years that followed, Jack and Ginny would become more and more involved in the Southern California chapters that were being established as part of Zone 8, including the Grand Prix and L.A. Regions, serving on many varied committees, but then especially the San Diego Region, when they moved to Oceanside from the L.A. area. Jack and Ginny would also participate and help plan many of these chapter’s social events, including breakfasts, tours, road rallies, and concours. Jack even did some autocross and time trial events. Those Porsche club members who got to know Jack and Ginny very well over these years remember seeing them regularly at many of the PCA-SDR board meetings, and they would drive to almost every Porsche Parade throughout the country, only missing a few such events over the next 50 years. The highlight for our Region was when they served as Grand Marshals for the SDR 50th Anniversary in 2007.

Also during this time period, Jack and Ginny would win and/or receive many awards, especially for their rallying skills, or service awards for their continued commitment to the betterment of the PCA. By 2011, they would be the proud owner of their 13th Porsche vehicle, a red 2011 Boxster, having previously owned mainly 356s, 914s, a 914/6, 911s and another Boxster.

Although I have only been able to get to know Jack and Ginny for the last five years through various Porsche events and PCA activities, it has always been an honor and a pleasure for me to be in their company and talk with them about everything Porsche (or about New Jersey, our native state). Over the last several years, these meetings happened on a more frequent basis, when they would go to the Ruby’s Restaurant in the Carlsbad Outlet Store Mall for breakfast, and I would drop by to say hello or sit with them during breakfast. The Ruby’s Restaurant management (Porsche owners) and their staff also loved seeing them on a daily basis, and considered Jack and Ginny the “nicest and sweetest” customers that they knew. The Ruby’s personnel got to know the Cases so well over an eight year period, that they honored them by making a plaque with the Porsche emblem that says ”In Appreciation For Their Continued Loyalty – This Table Is Proudly Reserved For Mr. & Mrs. Jack and Ginny Case – Thank you from Ruby’s Diner Carlsbad.” Their Porsche also has a reserved parking space in front of the restaurant.

For all those Porsche owners and PCA members who have known Jack and Ginny Case for these many decades, with some of you knowing them for over 50 years, there probably are many fantastic memories that you have experienced with them locally or at the Porsche Parades or other Porsche events, with some of those events in Europe. Here’s to many more Porsche events with Jack Case, and with Ginny Case in spirit! We all love you both!!

Note- Additional photos are from PCA, PCA-SDR archives, and John Straub

My development of that car was very methodical and I consulted a number of people. First and foremost of these was Steve Grosekemper. He was familiar with my driving and did all of the set up on the car based on my rather tail-happy driving style. I learned a lot in that car and was very happy with the way it handled and performed.

About a year ago, Steve mentioned that since I refused to drive the 944S like a front engine car, I might want to consider going back to a 911. I started thinking about that. Coincidentally, Steve was working on a 1979 911SC race car…. Flash forward about 7 months and Steve decided to start teasing me with the 911SC. It is a very well set up, no option overlooked, light and fast race car.

Steve suggested that I might want to try out the car at an AX. Since this was the summer break and I was interested, I agreed. We signed up for the July 7^th AX and I have to admit that I was excited. Steve sent me an email asking about tires. He said that I had two choices. Some very old Victoracers that I could abuse to my heart’s content or some new Hankook Z214’s that I would be responsible for should I damage them. Of course, I wanted the Z214’s. His response was “Wrong choice! You get the Victoracers.” I can’t blame him, given my past driving history as a noted tire abuser.

July 7^th dawned and we were both at the track to drive the car. I noticed that the camera mount wasn’t in the car and asked about it. Steve mentioned that he hadn’t had time to install it. He would regret that later.

Steve was up first and took me around the track in the 911. I was impressed with the car and thought that it was a handful, but drivable. I was up next and got into grid for my first lap. Here’s where it started to get interesting. When the green flag dropped, I let out the clutch and stepped down on the gas pedal and felt the wheels spin as I immediately went into the first right hand turn. I then adjusted throttle and turned the wheel to set up for the quick left hander before the first short straight and stepped on the gas. About halfway through this process, I realized that this wasn’t the 944 and what I had just done was not going to work out well. The immediate sound of spinning wheels and the feel of a car in full rotation confirmed that thought. I did a complete 360 and noticed that I was totally off of the track. I believe that Jad Duncan won the pool and was closest to predicting my first spin in the 911. I’m proud to admit that I made it well beyond the first corner and didn’t spin until turn 2. Lucky for me, there was no video, that was my only spin in the 911, and I finished just .23 seconds behind Steve that day.

I felt like I needed another test drive in the 911, so Steve and I signed up for the July 29^th autocross. We decided that better tires were in order, so Steve found us a set of used Hoosier A6’s to drive on. They were much better and really showed off the handling abilities of the car. I was getting used to the car, having a lot of fun, and I could tell that I really wanted this car. At that event, I cut the gap between Steve and me to .14 seconds.

Steve sent me a text that evening after the autocross and said that it was time to make a decision about the car. After a short discussion with Katina, I let Steve know that he had a buyer.

I spent the next two autocrosses getting used to the handling of the car and trying to maximize seat time before we went to Willow Springs in September. I have to admit that I was nervous about driving the car at speed at one of the fastest tracks that we run. I was so used to the 944S and driving it at its limits that I wasn’t sure I would be able to do as well in the 911 even though it was a faster car.

When we got to Willow Springs, I told myself that my goal was to come home with a clean car, round tires, and I also hoped to get down to a 1:35.99 or better. The consensus was that I would have a big off at turns 2 or 9 no later than Saturday afternoon. Nobody thought the car would stay clean until Sunday, much less the whole weekend.

My first session at Willow in the car we were starting to call the Silver Bullet was fantastic. I just tried to figure out any changes to my 944S line and stay smooth. I was able to get down to a 1:37.92 and the car felt very stable. I didn’t feel like I needed to change my line, but I wasn’t near the limits of the car yet.

During session two, I started to push a little harder and was able to lower my time to a 1:36.03. This was my fastest time ever at WSIR and I felt pretty good about it. The only change I made to my line was through turn 8. I entered a little higher than I did in the 944 due to the bumps that weren’t as apparent in the softer sprung 944S, but were really noticeable in the Silver Bullet. I also noticed that I could drive my preferred line through 9 and that it was still very quick.

I spent the rest of Saturday working on my line and getting used to the hand me down V710’s that Dan Chambers had given to me for this event. I had a set of Z214’s that I was saving for Sunday that only had a couple of heat cycles on them. In the last session on Saturday, I was able to get down to my best time of the day. I turned a 1:35.23 which met my personal time goal, and I had also kept the car clean all day.

When Sunday dawned, I was up early to run to the gas station for a fill up. The race exhaust on the Silver Bullet is extremely loud and noticeable. I kept the rpm’s under 2000 all the way to the gas station and back to try and avoid any unnecessary scrutiny. I also decided to try the newer Z214’s and see how they would work. They were narrower than the 710’s, but had less heat cycles so they should have more grip.

In the cool morning air, I was able to get down to a 1:34.22 with Greg Phillips in the car and a 1:33.97 in the following session. That was going to be my best time of the weekend. I was a bit like a kid in a candy store. Instead of taking those tires off and saving them for timed runs, I left them on and drove the stick right out of them. As the temperatures rose, the tires began to lose grip and the front really started to push. I was able to salvage a respectable time of 1:35.67 in timed runs, but it was disappointing after my practice runs. The best part of the weekend was discovering how much I liked the car, how well it fit my driving style, and that I kept the car clean all weekend. I was hooked and happy.

The next event was at Buttonwillow and I decided to continue to use the tires I had and not purchase any new tires until 2013. The car handled incredibly well at Buttonwillow and really showed me what I could expect. I was able to keep the car clean again and to exceed my expectations. I had hoped to get down to a 2:09.99 or better and was able to get to a 2:07.34 in timed runs. This was better than my previous best in the 944S by 4 seconds.

Quite a few club members have asked me how I like the car and how different it is from the 944S. I’ve only driven it at the autocrosses, WSIR, and Buttonwillow, and I feel that it is very similar in handling with a few key differences. It’s lighter, stiffer, and has more horsepower. The biggest difference should be the weight bias and inherent oversteer, but the setup on the 944S was biased towards oversteer, since that’s my preferred driving style. Driving at Buttonwillow really showed me how those two cars are more alike than I would have thought. I’m able to drive almost the same line at the same or faster speed around the entire track. I would say that the biggest adjustment has been that I need to use the brakes more. The car handles very well and really rewards a driver who stays ahead of the car.

I guess it’s safe to say that I really like the car, and I’m happy that I made the move from front engine to rear engine. I’m looking forward to a challenging year in CC09 and hope that I can pilot the Silver Bullet to some class wins. Thanks to Steve Grosekemper for a really well-developed car.

If you are any kind of automotive enthusiast, the four-day, December 27–30, 2012, San Diego International Auto Show at the San Diego Convention Center was the place to be, especially since Porsches were being displayed there, thanks to Joe Allis, General Manager of the Porsche of San Diego dealership off of Miramar Road. It has been a long time since Porsche automobiles have been displayed by a San Diego dealership, although I do remember that for the 2008 auto show, some Porsche vehicles were displayed, and of course, all the Porsche car lovers that attended the 2012 Auto Show remember the 22 PCA-SDR member cars that were beautifully displayed, by year and model, in a corral area specifically set aside for our club member cars.

Based on the information I was able to review before this show, there would be over 400 2013 model year cars from about 40 domestic and international automakers displayed at the Convention Center over the four-day period. In addition, there would be special features such as a motorcycle show, muscle car display area, some car accessory vendors, an exotics showroom, some giveaway drawings, a Blue-Eco Center, some specially designed “mobility” vehicles, a Camp Jeep indoor four-wheel drive test track, and over a dozen manufacturers featuring Ride and Drive opportunities in more than 70 models. Wow, a lot to see and do, all in one day!

For me, the best day to attend the S.D. Auto Show was the first day, Thursday, December 27. However, that day was also the day when the Port of San Diego was having the Big Bay Balloon Festivities that included a parade along the Embarcadero with a multitude of balloons and floats, scores of marching bands, a 5K race and a Dachshund Dash, and many, many visitors from out of town, especially those fans of the UCLA Bruins and the Baylor Bears who were here to attend the Bridgepoint Holiday Bowl football game at Qualcomm Stadium later that day. With all these activities and the usual traffic and parking problems in the Convention Center area, I decided to park my Porsche in front of Hoehn Porsche and take the 6:11a.m. Coaster train from the Carlsbad Poinsettia Station. But, why the Coaster and why so early? Well, if you are over 60, you pay only half fare, which from that location is only $5.50. Can’t beat that! And, the early train allowed me to eat breakfast in Old Town at the Old Town Mexican Café (great flavored Columbian Coffee) and still catch another early southbound train to the Santa Fe Depot.

I arrived at the Santa Fe Depot over an hour-and-a-half early and was able to take a leisurely walk from the depot and then along the Embarcadero and through Seaport Village, while enjoying some of the early festivities before the auto show was to start at 10:00a.m. With a complimentary ticket, in hand, I was able to be the first one in my line, and as soon as the doors opened at about 10:15 a.m., I headed straight for the Porsche of San Diego exhibit and was able to talk to, and then photograph, Joe Allis and Tiffany Doorn, a PCNA Ambassador, next to a number of the 2013 Porsche model cars. After about a half an hour of enjoying Joe’s and Tiffany’s company and admiring the new Porsches, I headed over to the Exotics Car Salon.

In the Exotics Car Salon, there were about 30 (mainly European) vehicles, including several Ferraris, a Lamborghini, an Aston Martin, an Audi, and yes, a white 2012 Porsche Turbo S. Automotive personnel representing ACG Automotive, Babelli Motors, the La Jolla Concours, and Cruise-4-Kids were displaying these luxury vehicles. My friend, Nino Venturella, the organizer of the Cruise-4-Kids, had several cars there that participated in the 2011 and 2012 Cruise-4-Kids events, which included about 100 exotic and luxury cars cruising from the Hotel Del Coronado to the Palomar Airport in Carlsbad to benefit the Boys & Girls Clubs of San Dieguito (2011 Event).

Just outside the Exotics Salon was a very unique Red Bull Formula Racer powered by an Infiniti motor that had been driven by Pepe Jeams.

My next stop was the San Diego Union-Tribune exhibit, which featured American Hot-Rod Classics and exotically painted Low Riders of a variety of makes and models, and there was also a relaxing lounge area where I was able to briefly talk to Mark Maynard, S.D. Union-Tribune automotive expert. I invited him to come up to the Cbad Cars and Coffee events, and he indicated that he would try to make one of those events in 2013.

My last major stop was the Lexus exhibit, where Carmen, a Lexus Ambassador, was showcasing a beautifully designed, metallic blue concept car, the LC, which is anticipated by Lexus to go into limited production in the 2015–16 model year.

I did walk around and experience some more of the other major auto exhibits that I listed above, but it was time for me to head over to Little Italy to enjoy a late lunch with some friends and still be able to catch one of the late-afternoon Coaster trains to return to Carlsbad.

In closing, I want to especially thank Joe Allis and Tiffany Doorn for making my 2013 San Diego International Auto Show visit most enjoyable with the Porsche Vehicles Exhibit.

New to the pickup truck display is a very rare 1991 VW Tristar Synchro Vanagon all-wheel-drive truck owned by board member Bob Poggi. This vehicle was offered worldwide except in the US. Bob’s truck is one of 19 that was offered for sale in Canada. Only 500 of the Tristar four-wheel-drive trucks were produced worldwide, while 1,000 of the two-wheel-drive models were built. The Tristar featured top-of-the-line equipment. The truck bed has fold down sides so you can convert your pick up into a flat bed. It has four doors, power windows, cruise control, cup holders, full carpeting inside, as well as a luxurious plush cloth interior. All four doors are equipped with adjustable arm rests, power windows, rear window defroster, cruise control, and the driver’s seat is heated. The opposed four-cylinder engine displaces 2,109CC, is water-cooled, and produces 90HP. The truck is equipped with a four-speed manual transaxle driving all four wheels with dual differential locks. The truck weighs in at 3,814 pounds and sold at a hefty $18,760. Still, the versatility offered by the vehicle in all kinds of terrain, plus the comfortable amenities, make this an attractive package. The display vehicle is all original with very few miles and little use. It truly looks brand new.

Another new and unusual truck is a restored 1957 Studebaker Transtar Deluxe, 3E Series pickup in red and white. This is a very modern-looking truck with a huge fiberglass grill opening that allows cool air to flow through the radiator. The downside of the pretty, yet manly, front end is how easy it is to break it when the front end contacts something hard. The truck is powered by a 259CID OHV V-8 that pumps out 170HP running through a three-speed column shifting transmission with overdrive for utility and economy. Only 1,978 of these pickups were built in 1957. Weighing in at 2,875 pounds, the V-8 offered good performance and reasonable mileage with the overdrive. The vehicle sold new for $1,758. Studebaker started building horse-drawn wagons in 1852. By the 1870s, Studebaker was the largest horse-drawn wagon maker in the world.

Going back in time a bit further, we see a dark green and black 1938 American Bantam pickup with a flathead,  inline, four-cylinder engine displacing 45.6CI and sporting 20HP at 3,900 RPM. The American Bantam is tiny in contrast to the regular American pickups. This truck only weighs 1,200 pounds, with a top speed of 60MPH, while allegedly delivering 60MPG. Origins for the vehicle stemmed from England, where the Austin Motor Company of Birmingham started building cars under license from Germany. In 1929, the American Austin Company built cars under license from English Austin. American Austin failed as a result of the Depression of 1929 and filed for bankruptcy in 1934. Bantam salesman Ray Evans bought the company in 1934 but did not have financial resources to resume construction until 1938. The subject truck offered reasonable performance and excellent economy but could only carry a small load, and by American standards, the truck was greatly underpowered.

In contrast to the small-engined ’38 American Bantam is a 1934 Ford hot rod pickup. The Ford is powered by a built-up 1967 Corvette V-8 big block motor displacing 427CI and producing 550 HP. The car has a huge Holley four-barrel carburetor, headers, and runs through a Muncie 4-speed manual transmission with quick change rear end. The body is painted flat black with red pin stripes. The interior has been updated with red bucket seats. With a tiny pickup bed in the back, one can still load it with a cooler and small BBQ for a picnic or beach outing, something that one cannot do with a 1934 Ford coupe.

The museum’s “Christmas-equipped” truck is their 1909 International Harvester Auto Wagon powered by a two-cylinder, air-cooled, 195CI, 15HP motor. The truck weighs 1,900 pounds. The 1909 Auto Wagon sold new for $850. The truck is equipped with Christmas greenery and colorfully wrapped presents ready for Santa to deliver.

The Automotive Museum shared the “December Nights” Celebration on Friday and Saturday evenings, December 7th and 8th with the rest of the Balboa Park museums. On Friday evening, 14 December, auto museum staff hosted Volunteer Appreciation Night on the museum floor. A catered Mexican dinner was served, and volunteers and board members were recognized by Executive Director Paula Brandes. Every attendee received a recognition award. SDR member Dee House was recognized as the “classiest member to arrive in a Porsche.” If the Tonight Show needs a replacement, Paula could fill in with her dry wit, comfortable delivery, and charming presentation.

The December board meeting was held in the “all new” Hall of Champions upstairs. With funding partially provided by the Tuesday Club, new floors, upholstery, painted surfaces, and (yet to be installed) window treatments make a wonderful environment for meetings. Maybe the Porsche club will want to hold a board meeting there soon. A major topic of conversation has been fundraising. The museum seeks vehicles for display and/or sale, and cash gifts to help restore the museum and improve the facilities. Executive Director Paula Brandes hopes to upgrade the exterior of the building to replicate its appearance at the time of the 1935 Exposition. Suggestions were made to replace the original large murals outside the main entrance with new ones, to add flood lights and two large flag poles directly above the roof at the front entrance, and to replace the two large California Golden Bears on each corner of the building. The cost was deemed to be nominal, based on the historic look and improvement to the physical appearance. A number of significant donors are honored by brass license plate style plaques that greet visitors above the entry area next to the ticket sales area and museum store. For more information on financial support and levels of membership, please go to www.sdautomotivemuseum.org/donate. Your Museum Representative would be happy to personally show any Porsche club member around the museum without charge, in hopes of showing you the advantages of annual membership. Please contact me at AUTOMUSEUM@PCASDR.ORG if you are interested. See you next month with the Low Riders.

Story and photos by Michael Harris

The kids and their families had gathered early and eagerly lined up for the food upon its arrival. The children were polite and well-mannered, and within about one hour we had served 22 pizzas, beverages, and dessert to about 125 children and their families. Most of the children ranged in age from 5 to 12 years old. Many came back for seconds.The family night dinner was a resounding success and all of the food was consumed, with only a bit of cake left over. In short order, everything was cleaned up and we said good night to the children and their families. I would like to extend my personal thanks to the servers for taking time out of their lives to give the Monarch School children a little something special. I would especially like to thank Sean Conner of Hoehn Porsche of Carlsbad for sponsoring the dinner. Sean was planning on joining the servers, but the atrocious Friday night traffic caused him to arrive a bit late. He served at the previous dinner and did a great job! Thanks for your help, Sean.

Our soldiers, Marines, sailors, and airmen have been engaged in the war on terrorism for more than a decade—fighting with great valor and distinction. They have served selflessly and sacrificed much. Sadly, many have received both visible and non-visible injuries. The Purple Heart is a medal awarded to a military person who has given their blood or their life in the service of their nation.

Porsche Club of America San Diego Region has, for three years now, collaborated with Naval Medical Center, San Diego (NMCSD) and Armed Services YMCA to demonstrate our gratitude and our deep appreciation through the Wounded Warrior Tour for the services and sacrifices of our nation’s greatest natural treasure—our young men and women serving in uniform—nearly all of whom have earned the Purple Heart Medal.

On Saturday, 1 December 2012, 47 PCA-SDR drivers joined with 27 Wounded Warriors from Balboa Naval Hospital to strike out on our 3rd Wounded Warrior Tour. It was one of those accomplishments which will stick with me, and I would hazard to guess, each one of our drivers, for a very long time. Think about it—how often do you get to do something involving Porsches with a gathering of ladies and gentleman of such caliber, and contribute to a cause such as this. It was a virtuous expression of our most profound gratitude for the service and sacrifice of our military service personnel.

It was a crisp, blue sky morning on 1 December when Katie, my own Navy nurse and wife of 32 years, and I arrived at the parking lot at Park Blvd and President’s Way (adjacent to Veteran’s Memorial). We rolled in 30 minutes early for the 8:15 AM tour brief, she cocooned in her 2009 green 911 “S” and me in the logistics support truck—my 5500 pound, Leviathan 2005 Ford Expedition, crammed with ice chests, soft drinks and water, and several folding chairs. I was not surprised to see that we were not the first to arrive. Clearly, there were several others as eager as we to get on with the events.

The weather forecast called for partial to broken overcast with a 20 percent chance of rain. We were greeted with high scattered clouds and unlimited visibility on a bright and comfortable 60 degree San Diego morning. Katie now lamented that she had not washed her car the day before. I couldn’t help but point out that had she, we’d be in a downpour.

I was fully engrossed in making final preps and arranging the radios, maps, driver list, and route directions, when in the distance, I could hear the unmistakable roar of flat, opposed cylinder engines. The Porsches … they commeth!

Despite my focus on the pending task it was difficult not to swoon over the spectacular array of these fine specimens of Zuffenhausen craftsmanship as they arrived. Initially they trickled in: Keith’s gorgeous Fly Yellow, 1993 RSA America 964, Steve McKay’s pristine white1989 951, Sharon LaDuke’s exquisite 2008 silver Boxster (the car was built for her), a brand spanking new, Aqua Blue Boxster “S” driven by Ted Witte, and two gleaming 2013 Panameras driven by Joe Allis and Daniel Lewis, courtesy of Porsche of San Diego. I wandered amongst the rolling art work and knew that this would be a grand day.

As we approached the witching hour, 0815, the individual engine notes of inbound cars gradually coalesced into reverberating thunder as a steady stream of Porsches and other cars arrived on scene. When all the drivers assembled I was happily surprised at the variety and pedigree of the cars. We had a stunning sample of nearly every Porsche built and several exotics and collectables—Mike Avitt’s 2011 Supersonic Blue Corvette Z06, Ralph Turner’s 2012 Silver CLS 63 Mercedes Benz, and a heart stopper—a 1965 Shelby Mustang cloaked in white with blue stripes lovingly cared for by John Turpit.

They came for the tour. They came to share the camaraderie that is the bonding agent of gear-heads the world over, but mostly they came for the cause—a mission of the heart, an objective for virtue, to pay tribute, in their small way, to those who gave far more than their time and blood in protecting our nation, our freedoms, and our way of life. Granted, these men and women, now recovering at NMCSD, were but a small portion of all those who served on distant and foreign lands but it was refreshing to see the heartfelt outpouring of support by so many of our club members.

With all the amazing rolling stock assembled it looked more like a car show than a tour. I could have spent the rest of the day just slobbering over these beautiful cars. Ah…it’s good to be an American!

We were extremely fortunate to have the dream team slotted as the Tour Leads. Keith Verlaque planned and led the tour but four other “Flight Leads” and a stinger were interspersed in the group so as to avoid losing any drivers. Included in the team were Mike Brown (Flight #2); Jim Binford (Flight #3); Keith Rampmeier (Flight #4); Ralph Turner (Stand-by Flight Lead); and Joel Bowman (Stinger). (Joel had the unenviable task of sheep-dogging 40 cars to keep them pointed in the same direction.)

At 8:15, Keith welcomed the drivers and opened up with a brief on the route, overall conduct of the tour, safety, arrival at the Leatherneck Museum for lunch, and the ground rules.

Following the brief, 47 Porsches and exotics (and one behemoth Ford Expedition) cranked up and proceeded, en masse, to Balboa Naval Hospital to pick up our guests. Our liaison officers at the Armed Services YMCA, Mr. Cherri Barnswell and Ms. Alysha Christensen, managed to score through-the-gate security privileges and also received permission for the cars to park in front of the hospital barracks.

When our cars arrived at the barracks, we were greeted by 27 very excited Wounded Warriors and guests. Not surprising, I noticed many smiles and a few dropped jaws as the cars pulled in. One gent convincingly explained he had a driver’s license, insurance, was an excellent driver and believed it would be great if he could drive my car. I was all for it and said as much, but he lost all interest when I pointed to my 4-wheel drive Detroit Rhino.

With all drivers and Warriors gathered in front of the barracks, I provided a quick overview of the day’s festivities, stressing the need to account for all hands at each stop. With final questions asked and answered, we turned our guests loose to survey the line-up, speak with the drivers, and strap into their favorite car. (I half expected a confrontation over John’s GT 350 Shelby but cooler heads prevailed.)

Keith Verlaque plotted a stunning route through the hill country of east San Diego county—drive time approximately 2 hours and 20 minutes. He planned to run the route and make one pit stop at the Sycuan Casino, where he also finagled parking under the Portico, VIP parking within the valet parking area—right in front of the main entrance of the casino.

In one monstrous conga line, we paraded out the front gate of the hospital, punched the odometer to reset to zero, and proceeded east on HW 94. It was quite a sight, almost 50 cars lined out in single file for nearly a mile with very light traffic. We remained on 94 until we hit Campo Rd, about 16 miles from the front gate, and then things started to get interesting.

Climbing through the hills around Jamul we turned left onto Lyons Valley Rd and entered terrain much as I had envisioned on Mars—brown earth in a patch work of colorful desert fauna and flora.

I couldn’t keep the grin off my face as I watched and listened to the deep-throated howling of the cars as they wound through the sweepers, dog legs, chicanes, accelerated into the straights—uphill and down. I suddenly longed for my 1990 964 (slightly modified) but for this event, I was delighted just to be part of the parade and hang on to the fast-movers setting the pace. (Thanks for thinking of me Keith!)

As we climbed, I found myself surrounded by a prism of earth shades and hues of gold and green following 3-days of rain: sagebrush, flat-topped buckwheat, white sage, black sage, laurel sumac, Torrey Pine, cheat grass, red brome, ryegrass, deergrass, wild oats, filaree, mustard, clover, scrub oak, manzanita. To be truthful I have a heck of a time telling a Pine tree from a Palm tree, but on this glorious morning it just didn’t matter. It was all simply magnificent!

From Lyons Valley Rd. we joined Skyline Truck Trail (where do they get these names) and without much of a transition we were back on Lyons Valley Rd. We came left to join Japatul Valley Rd. and drove past a knock-out lake (Loveland Reservoir) I never knew existed. (I gotta get out more!)

At 48.5 miles from the hospital gate, just as Keith had calculated, we pulled into the front parking area of Sycuan Casino. The Casino staff was most gracious and assisted in parking our large gaggle of cars. Chilled bottled water was delivered to drivers and their guest and the casino was open to all in the WW Tour—another stroke of wizardry and statesmanship thanks to Keith.

We spent about 45 minutes at the Casino. It was a great photo op and chance to meet the rest of the Warriors and the drivers.

After some car swapping and a final head count from Springli Payeur, our wonderful volunteer Armed Services YMCA Den Mother (leave no one on the battlefield…or in the casino!) we fired up the autos and proceeded on the second half of the run. At this point, I separated from the rest of the group and made a dash to the US Marine Corps Leatherneck Aviation Museum where lunch awaited. After a few exploratory starts, I finally found I-8 and headed for Miramar Way and the Miramar US Marine Corps Air Station, home of the museum.

A bit before noon, Keith led the line into the Leatherneck Aviation Museum parking lot. Thanks to the contribution and enormous generosity of Mr. Steve Garcia and Mr. Frank Passiglia, president and vice president (respectively) of Patriot General Engineering, our Wounded Warriors were treated to a magnificent Mexican style lunch laid out in grand style by the Palms Restaurant. Based on the demeanor, the laughter, and the many smiles radiating from the faces of our guests, I suspected we hit a home run—something many of them needed desperately.

I was anxious to stroll down memory lane amongst the assembly of magnificent, timeless military aircraft. There were some beauties dating back to pre-WWII. If you haven’t visited the Flying Leathernecks museum at Marine Corps Air Station, Miramar you owe it to yourself to make the trip. The museum is operated by volunteers using donations from the community. General Bob Butcher, USMC (Ret) and Mr. Chuck Meadows went way beyond the call to ensure our visit was a comfortable and exciting experience. For their contribution to our project, I humbly thank the entire Leatherneck Museum Staff. What an impressive team!

During the two-hour lunch we had the opportunity to speak with and learn more about our Warriors. I think very few of us had much of an understanding of what these kids did when they went across the wire and very few of us comprehended the full sense of trauma and horror of modern combat most of these kids experienced.

I watched and listened to our guests as they engaged in small talk with their hosts and it occurred to me that not once did I ever hear a word of complaint, not a single nuance of dissatisfaction or self pity. I sat in high reverence of these men, each carrying an injury—physical, emotional, spiritual—and I was utterly and completely humbled in their shadow.

The crowd began to thin about 2:00PM. Drivers independently returned their charges to the hospital. The day was about over but the memory and that irrepressible feeling of accomplishment will never end.

This year’s WWT was an uplifting success story—successful only because of the selfless efforts and energies of 47 of our PCA/SDR’s members who gave willingly of themselves for a cause both worthy and appropriate.

It was also successful (and possible) because of the special efforts and the charitable donations from several patriotic and dedicated individuals. We owe Angela Avitt a tremendous thank you for the sterling coordination with the club and the marketing effort; to Ms. Alysha Christensen of the Armed Services YMCA, whose personal commitment to her Wounded Warriors was so very apparent in the magnificent coordination efforts with the Naval Hospital and security group; to Porsche of San Diego, Joe Allis and Daniel Lewis, who have consistently stepped to the plate with the latest frontline Zuffenhausen masterpieces supporting our club in this and many other projects; to Mike Brown of Computer Integrated Machining (CIM) who not only led one of the tour flights but generously donated to the cause; to John Rickard and Jeff Beckman of Black Forest for their perpetual support and contributions in many PCA-SDR activities; and finally, to the contributor without whose donation would have resulted in Meals, Ready To Eat (MRE) for lunch instead of the scrumptious Mexican Buffet we enjoyed—Mr. Steve Garcia (a ten-year Marine combat veteran) and Mr. Frank Passiglia of Patriot General. My most profound thanks to one and all!

For some time after the tour, I reflected on the event and those for whom the event was designed. I realized the more I knew about these men and women—they who so willingly risked their lives to protect our freedom and way of life—the deeper my admiration and my appreciation. Their depth of character, dedication to their team and nation, and their unsinkable spirit was a lesson in character I will long learn from and cherish.

I believe those few hours on 1 December were both enjoyable and memorable for our Wounded Warriors. Certainly, they genuinely appreciated the charity extended by our supporters and the efforts and deep gratitude conveyed by the PCA-SDR drivers. But no matter how enjoyable their day or great their experience, it will never compare with the supreme satisfaction I took home that day.

All gave some. Some gave all!

Donald Auten
Porsche Club of America San Diego Region
Military Liaison

The GTS also gets two bespoke colors, Peridot Metallic (above) and Carmine Red, start-stop technology to keep the fuel consumption down, unique side skirts and wheel arches, as well as, for the first time on a Cayenne, an available Sport Chrono package.

The 2013 Cayenne GTS will get a formal reveal at the Bejing Auto Show later this month and is scheduled to arrive Stateside in August at a base price of $82,050.  Check out a video after the jump to see it in action.

Press Release

High-Performance SUV with 420 HP, Lowered Chassis and Improved Driving Dynamics

ATLANTA – April 10, 2012 – Porsche is set to unveil the second-generation Cayenne GTS at the Beijing International Automotive Exhibition, also known as Auto China, on April 24, 2012.  Based on the Cayenne S, this new model is equipped with 20 additional horsepower, a 20 mm lower ride height and a lower final drive ratio for improved driving dynamics.

The latest Cayenne transmits power from its 420 hp V8 to an active All-Wheel-Drive system coupled to an eight-speed Tiptronic S transmission with integrated Auto Start Stop function. The specially tuned engine and transmission combination enable the Cayenne GTS to sprint from a standing start to 60 mph in 5.4 seconds and to achieve a top-track-speed of 162 mph.

The Cayenne GTS is recognizable from the outside by its high-gloss black trim, prominent side skirts and wider wheel arches as well as the hood and front fascia from the Cayenne Turbo.  20-inch RS Spyder wheels with a unique offset for the GTS are standard as are upgraded brakes from the Cayenne Turbo.  Two new colors are available for the Cayenne GTS; Peridot Metallic and Carmine Red. A sport exhaust system with matte black twin tailpipes is standard.

Inside, the Cayenne GTS features exclusive GTS eight-way adjustable front sports seats with Alcantara accents.  For the first time in the Cayenne, a new Sport Chrono package is now available to monitor the improved performance offered by the GTS model.  Additionally, a Sound Symposer channels authentic engine intake sounds into the cabin.

The 2013 Cayenne GTS will go on sale in the U.S. in August 2012, with a base MSRP of $82,050, not including a $975 delivery charge.

About Porsche Cars North America

Porsche Cars North America, Inc. (PCNA), based in Atlanta, Ga. is the exclusive U.S. importer of Porsche sports cars, the Cayenne SUV and Panamera sports sedan. Established in 1984, it is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Porsche AG, which is headquartered in Stuttgart, Germany, and employs approximately 220 people who provide parts, service, marketing and training for 194 dealers. They, in turn, work to provide Porsche customers with a best-in-class experience that is in keeping with the brand